Highlighting the business impact of APIs and open banking: Get to know Heiko Dosch of Commerzbank

In our Get to know the customer series, Axway focuses on getting to the heart of the people behind our customers in an informative behind-the-scenes Q&A. This month, we spoke with Commerzbank’s Heiko Dosch, Marketing & Communication Manager API Banking.

Commerzbank is a leading German bank with an international presence, serving private and small business customers as well as corporates, multinationals, financial service providers, and institutional clients. With the Amplify API Management Platform as the foundation for its new API-driven service architecture, Commerzbank has gained a solid basis for digital innovation, with benefits such as:

• Creating a secure platform for developing new services based on 150 reusable APIs
• Enabling innovative fintech partnerships, helping Commerzbank win customers
• Helping meet customer expectations around online and mobile banking, cutting risk of churn.

Behind these exciting innovations, there is a wonderful team of people working to delight customers and build for the future. So let’s get to know Heiko a little bit.

Tell me about yourself! What is your current role, experience, and background?

I am working as a Marketing & Community Manager at Commerzbank’s API program. My key task is to promote the business impact of APIs and open banking inside and outside the bank. This includes all API-related communication as well as thought leadership activities. This requires a special mix of marketing know-how from campaigning and content creation to event organization and video production – basically, my experiences from different roles throughout the years. But the most important thing is the ability to transfer complex tech topics into bold messages and customer benefits.

 What does a day in the life of Heiko look like?

Each day is different, and that´s what I really appreciate. But usually, there are equal parts of alignment meetings with my team and partners – like Axway – as well as slots for conceptual work and content development.

Why is your communication role so critical for API adoption?

Our first goal is to foster open banking initiatives and in order to achieve that we need to gain awareness with potential partners as a relevant player in the market. This means, we need to carry out our offerings and capabilities to the targeted audiences in an appropriate way. And if it´s a salesperson who talks to a corporate client about improving payment processes we support with sales briefings and use case descriptions.

If you could give some advice for better API adoption, what would it be?

As mentioned earlier, we need to address different people with different messages in a different way. This is something we certainly can improve and refine as both business and tech audiences generally differ, and each group needs its own specific but complementary communication approach.

How has your career grown since joining Commerzbank?

I would say my career reflects the way marketing has changed in the past 15 years. I started as an advertising manager in the retail banking sector. After that I was responsible for the bank´s multi-channel campaign management and contributed to several digitalization projects for business customers. Finally, I joined the API program from the start and established my own marketing function. So, I have stayed curious for the ‘next level stuff’.

What is your favorite hobby/passion outside of work?

I am coaching a junior football team.

Tell us something not everyone knows about you.

I used to play the drums in an amateur rock band (without success 😉 )

What are you currently listening to, reading, or watching that you have loved?

I am reading the recent story collection of Ferdinand von Schirach, who is a skilled writer as well as a smart thinker.